Canadian cyclist Riley Pickrell wins first stage of Sibiu Cycling Tour in Romania

By Canadian Press on July 3, 2025.

SIBIU — Canadian cyclist Riley Pickrell won the first stage of the Sibiu Cycling Tour on Thursday.

Riding for the Israel-Premier Tech team, the 23-year-old from Victoria covered the 215.3 kilometres in four hours 51 minutes 40 seconds, finishing four seconds ahead of Slovak Lukáš Kubis.

Pickrell won the second stage of last year’s race, his first win as a pro.

”Today, the whole team was fantastic throughout the stage, setting up Riley for the win,” said Israel-Premier Tech sports director Francesco Frassi. “(Friday), our focus will be on Matthew Riccitello, who is our leader for GC (general classification) here. Matthew feels really good at the moment, so we have high hopes.”

Riccitello, a 23-year-old American, will look to arrive first on Friday’s mountaintop finish on Bâlea Lac.

The four-stage race runs through Sunday.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 3, 2025

The Canadian Press